Arthur returned to his room and let out a small sigh.
"Arthasia, are you still awake?" Arthur sat on the edge of his bed and called out to Arthasia.
Suddenly, a small light appeared above his head, and Arthasia, dressed in sleepwear, materialized.
"Yawn! Did you call for me, master?" Her voice, muffled by a yawn, caused her petite mouth to open wide
Observing this, Arthur smiled and extended his palm towards Arthasia, gently resting her on his shoulder.
"Master?" Arthasia tilted her head in confusion, taken aback by Arthur's unusual response.
Arthur regarded Arthasia with seriousness and posed the question, "Arthasia, did the mission to subdue the three high-ranking Luvic nobles involve a complete betrayal of David himself, or was its purpose solely to hinder their support for David in the rebellion?"
Eager to confirm the details and grasp the mission's complete scope, Arthur concealed any surprise that Lucas' earlier suspicion had stirred within him, displaying no trace of carelessness.
Upon hearing Arthur's inquiry, Arthasia hesitated for a moment before responding, "Honestly, master, I don't possess that knowledge either."
"Because the mission and all its associated matters are not within my direct control," Arthasia explained.
She continued, "Given that, I cannot definitively say whether the mission solely aimed to thwart the three individuals from aiding David in his rebellion or if there were additional objectives involved." Arthasia let out a helpless sigh, her voice tinged with an apologetic tone.
Upon hearing Arthasia's response, Arthur's brow furrowed slightly, for he had anticipated this outcome.
As Arthasia had previously mentioned, missions and their related matters operated autonomously, beyond her direct control.
Consequently, he had already formulated some hypotheses regarding the situation.
Nevertheless, he felt compelled to inquire, and the confirmation aligned precisely with his expectations.
"Very well, Arthasia," Arthur reassured her.
"Don't worry." Arthur's voice carried a soothing tone as he gently rubbed her small head with his thumb.
Afterward, he whispered softly, "Appraisal, Task!"
Instantly, an assignment panel materialized before him, its appearance bearing subtle variations from the previous one.
[Task:]
[Main Task]
[1. Aid Anna in mastering the new trading method and ensure the smooth execution of your plan.]
[Mission Level: Silver (Moderately Difficult)]
[Reward: Unknown (Completion guarantees a significant reward!)]
Task Progress: 50%
[2. Subdue the three influential Luvic nobles and prevent their support for David's future rebellion!]
[Mission Level: Gold (Very Difficult)]
[Reward: Unknown (Completion guarantees a significant reward!)]
Task Progress: (Weis Family: 8%), (Valha Family: 0%), (Alen Family: 0%)
[3. (Locked)]
[4. (...)]
As the panel appeared before his eyes, Arthur's eyes widened in surprise, prompting him to seek an immediate explanation from Arthasia.
"Arthasia! What does the task's progress signify?" His gaze shifted swiftly to Arthasia, awaiting her response.
In response to Arthur's query, Arthasia paused briefly, closing her eyes as if engaged in silent communication with an unseen entity.
After a moment, Arthasia opened her eyes, her expression filled with joy as she responded, "Master! It seems the main task includes a feature called task progress!"
"It serves as a notification to keep you informed about the progress of your tasks!" Arthasia explained gleefully to Arthur.
Arthur redirected his focus towards the task panel once more, nodding in comprehension.
"Ah, I understand now!" Arthur replied, his eyes lighting up with comprehension.
However, he was taken aback when Arthasia continued her explanation, causing him to be greatly surprised.
"And, Master! Tasks that reach a certain level of progress will automatically grant you rewards!" Arthasia exclaimed, jumping up and down in delight as if she had just won a prize.
Arthur gasped in astonishment, his lips parting involuntarily, and a beaming smile illuminated his face, radiating his genuine happiness.
However, he soon stumbled upon a revelation that left him profoundly surprised.
"This... Why does the Weis family show progress?" Arthur's eyes remained fixed on the second mission panel.
A wave of perplexity engulfed him as he acknowledged his lack of significant progress in subduing the Weis family.
Furthermore, the recent near-encounter with Lucas had left him somewhat disoriented, adding to his confusion.
However, in a sudden epiphany, a name escaped his lips almost involuntarily: "Anna Weis!"
"Of course! It must be her!" Arthur's realization sparked a surge of joy within him as he discovered a potential breakthrough that filled him with great happiness.
"It appears that this second mission doesn't necessarily require directly overpowering the Luvic family leaders themselves but rather allows for a gradual infiltration around them," Arthur mused, resting his chin on his hand.
Certainly, if he were able to directly conquer the Luvic family leaders, the mission would be swiftly accomplished.
However, considering the immense difficulty, Arthur harbored doubts about his ability to subdue all three of them within a short timeframe.
With the current opportunity and the progress made in the mission, he found himself in an advantageous position, greatly favoring his objectives.
"Hey, I never expected cakes to rain down from the sky like this," Arthur chuckled softly.
With this newfound loophole, he realized that he could achieve his goal of subduing the three Luvic families by gradually conquering the individuals close to them or the power they held in high regard!
Considering that the Weis family focused on trade, the Allen family on education, and the Valha family on the military, Arthur realized he could exploit their respective strengths to achieve his objective of subduing the three Luvic families.
Nevertheless, he recognized that undertaking this approach would be demanding and time-intensive, posing a multitude of challenges throughout the journey.
However, he believed it was essential to proceed in order to prevent the three Luvic family leaders, who were likely to decline his proposal to join forces against David, from having no alternative but to surrender.
Arthur sighed in resignation, his head throbbing with the weight of the decision.
"I suppose I'll have to take the longer, more intricate path," he muttered, shaking his head.
Observing Arthur's peculiar demeanor, Arthasia flew over to him and gently cupped his face in her small hands, concern etched on her features.
"What's troubling you, master?"
Arthur snapped out of his reverie, meeting Arthasia's gaze filled with concern, and shook his head, dispelling any worries she may have had.
"It's nothing; I'm just lost in thought."
Curiously, as Arthur focused on Arthasia's face, he couldn't help but notice something peculiar for the first time.
"Arthasia, for some reason, your face feels incredibly familiar," Arthur murmured softly, leaving Arthasia slightly perplexed by his comment.
"Hmm? Who do you think I resemble?" Arthasia tilted her head, her small hands resting on her face, as she looked at Arthur with confusion.
Arthur attempted to recall the person he associated her face with, a nagging sense of recognition lingering within him, but he couldn't quite pinpoint who it was.
"Could my memory be playing tricks on me once more?" Arthur rubbed his temples, coming to the realization that he might have been overthinking, leading to mental fatigue and creating illusions.
Swiftly, he shook his head, dismissing the thoughts, and spoke lightly, "No, never mind."
"Perhaps it was merely my mind playing tricks on me," Arthur reassured himself, attempting to alleviate any lingering confusion.
Upon hearing this, although Arthasia remained puzzled, she refrained from inquiring further and simply nodded in response.
"Alright then, shall I proceed with transferring the reward?" Arthasia asked eagerly, her demeanor hinting at an impending surprise.
Arthur's eyes sparkled with anticipation as he nodded eagerly.
"Absolutely! This is the moment I've been eagerly anticipating!" he exclaimed, a wide smile adorning his face.
Arthasia swiftly extended her hands, and a radiant white light emanated from her palms, illuminating the surroundings with dazzling brilliance.
The light cascaded towards Arthur, enveloping his body and filling the entire room with its radiant glow.
Mesmerized by the spectacle unfolding before his eyes, Arthur was unable to contain his overwhelming sense of astonishment.
"This... This is incredible!"
...
Meanwhile
"Ugh! Am I still alive?" Rian's eyes slowly fluttered open, revealing a scene of unfamiliar surroundings that greeted him.
"Ouch!" A cry of agony escaped Rian's lips as he made an attempt to lift his head, only to be met with a searing surge of pain.
Every movement sent waves of excruciating discomfort rippling through his entire body, particularly concentrated in his left chest, where his core resided, and his abdomen.
Struggling to regain composure, he focused on recalling the events leading up to his current predicament.
"Mmm... Did I manage to escape from them?" Rian mumbled softly, his gaze sweeping over his surroundings.
It became evident that he was not in the clutches of the members of the Light-Eater organization.
The room he found himself in was a humble wooden hut furnished with simple belongings.
Furthermore, he noticed bandages and an assortment of medicines carefully applied to his wounds, indicating that someone had tended to his injuries.
Despite being a mid-level Elemental Saint, Rian could sense that the medicinal drugs, even though rendered useless to someone of his caliber, particularly at the level of an Elemental Saint, were ineffective, given that ordinary herbal remedies held no potency for him.
"Who is trying to save me?"
As the thought of someone coming to his rescue crossed Rian's mind, he pondered over the question of who it might be.
Lost in his thoughts, Rian's attention was abruptly captured by the faint creaking sound of the door across from him gradually swinging open.
In an instant, his eyes widened in astonishment.
"You?!"
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